HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Brandon Oliver, 21, was charged under Virginia’s freshly minted so-called “revenge porn” law for disseminating a nude photograph of his ex-girlfriend online.
On July 1, Virginia passed a law criminalizing the distribution of another’s explicit photos online without their consent with the intent to harass or cause emotional distress. The practice is now referred to as “revenge porn” in common parlance.
According to a police source, a nude photograph of Oliver’s girlfriend surfaced on a Facebook feed around July 10. The ex-girlfriend then sought legal action against Oliver for posting the photo and for vandalism. Oliver is currently out on bond.
“It’s important to note this young man is presumed innocent of both charges,” CBS 6 legal expert Todd Stone said. “But he now has a property damage charge from May and another charge from Tuesday night. And the same victim is listed in both cases. It would suggest this woman is willing to testify.”
If convicted of both charges, Oliver faces up to 24 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Other states with analagous revenge porn laws include Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Arizona, California, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, Idaho, Utah and Wisconsin.
